Tree-cover.



6. L. MIILIEII.

'TREE CUVER.

APPLICATION IJLEDAPILZI. 1916.

1,233,099. Patented Julyw, 1917.-

INVENTOR *ffii m GEORGE MILLER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TREE- COVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Application filed April 21, 1916. Serial No. 92,588.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE L. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tree- Covers, of which the following is a specification. v

My invention relates to covers and protectors for fruit trees, being especially designed to guard against damage or loss of the fruit, which is usually attributed to frost, hail, excessive rains, also from blight of various kinds.

It is a well known fact that great financial loss to fruit growers frequently occurs when their budding orchards are subjected to the damaging iniuences of frosts, hail, freezing, heavy rains, and in order to protect the tender buds against such devastating weather conditions various means have been experimented with to counteract these destroying agencies, such for instance as smudge pots and'similar devices of doubtful merit.`

It is my aim to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive cover that can be quickly placed over the tree, without any material injury to the tree or damage to the budding fruit, affording a positive protection and insurance against sudden drops in the temperature, and giving to the grower issurance of a regular fruit crop.

I propose manufacturing this tree cover out of any suitable material that will not be affected by exposure to the weather, medium weight duck or water proof fabric being preferable, although oiled paper and similar substance could be advantageously employed.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one embodiment of my invention, which is merely illustrative of my preferred form, the same however being susceptible of modilication that will confine it within the scope of the claims.

Referring then to said drawing Figure 1 illustrates the application of my cover to a tree or bush; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cover in full extended formation, and Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the cover in its partially folded attitude ready for placing over the tree.

As shown the cover, when laid out flat, involves a. plurality of approximately triangular shaped segments or radial flaps A,

B, C and D respectively, they being separated from each other by radial V-shaped spaces E, each flap having a projecting tongue or extension F, approximately midway of the outer edge, which Hap is supplied with an eyelct or suitable aperture G.

The corner section of each iap, at one side of the imaginary center line, is provided with a series of apertures or eyelets H, while the opposite corner necessarily carries but one aperture J, for receiving one end of a hook member K.` A slight modification of this arrangement of eyelets and hooks is shown in Fig. 2, where the iap C has two series of apertures, and the iap D carries two hooks, the requirement being that there shall be a hook contiguous to each series of apertures of the adjacent iiap.

A little to one side of the imaginary center line extending from side to side of the coverl is a folding line L, and one each side of this folding line are the two pairs of spaced apart apertures M, which are designed to register, one with the other, whenever the flap C is in its partially folded attitude shown in Fig. 3.

In the eyelet G of two of the projecting tongue portions F there is attached a slip noose or self locking draw string N, which is suplied at its free end with a hook mem- The operating steps required to place my fruit tree cover in its functional position is extremely simple and involves rst, the folding of the cover as shown in Fi 3, whereby the eyelets M will be brought into registering engagement with each other in order to permit of the insertion of a. suitable pole or other lifting medium.

In order to expedite the placement of my tree cover it is preferable to employ two operators, especially when the size and weight of cover will justify, each one handling an elevating pole, not shown however, and by a concerted lifting movement the cover, in its partially folded attitude, is easily and quickly elevated slightly above the highest branches or limbs, and then gently lowered until it rests on and is supported by the tree itself. The poles are then withdrawn, and the previously folded over portion of the cover is permitted to drop into approximately vertical alinement with the remaining section, thereby partially surrounding and covering the major portion of the tree. The hooks K are next After the flaps have been hooked together both the draw strings N are broughtover underneath lthe 'lowerlimbs 'of the tree, crossing each other close to the tree' trunk7 and the hooks O- made'to .'engage'in the aperture of the d'iametr-iea-lly:opposite tongue portion F, after which' the' slip noose is utilized' to take' up any slack necessary to properly draw the 'aps'tovvardaff common center, or .in thedirec'tion-,of the f tree trunk, thereby causing' the' cover to'linhook, adapted-ftoiremovably'engage in an fold the tree sufficient to! carry out its intendedE function of-proteoting' the1fruit. p {Tlieiremovalof thecover, a'ffter," all danger from" loss by Weatherfconditionsf-ihasf passed,- constitutes'practically aV 'reverse opi eration from thatV just describd When-ap- ,pl'ying the device, the'='elevating poles, not 3 ,-shovvn,= 'again vGalledl vinto rservice -iii 3 tiveinsurance against loss of his fruit. i

4is readily apparent that my tree cover can -be'constructed'in a number of modified ways and out of one or more pieces of mai Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for separatedinarginally apertured flaps; hook means for removably uniting the marginal edges ofthe adjacent aps; and adjustable means carried b'yapotion of said aps for drawing' the Adiametrically opposite fiaps in the direction of aE lcommon center.

' 23A tree cover comprising a plurality of separated flaps; eachiijapihaving a plurality ofmarginalI eyelets; hooks carried by the flaps adapted to removably engage in the eyelets of adjacent flaps; and a. slip noose carriedjbyth'e fia-psg` -said-'noose having a eyelet'f'rof 2 'liei dairnetrically' opposite flap,

-foI-diavving' flaps-iii the direction of al j: 'commonl center.

tree4l 'eoverleompri'sing a plurality of separated flaps aclifjlap having a plurality of'm eyelets; a* folding line; eyelets formedfat Zaclfside'f'said-line; hooks 'ear-V i riad'lijf-italie?jiap'sadapted to iremovably engage in tlefeyele'ts'ofad-jacet `iaps; anda slipE noos'eihavingl a liofok adapted to removably` engage;l inan'eyelet ofthe diametrically opposite '-'apg' for drawing said flaps in the direction o fa common center.

In testimony whereof Iax my signature y of" Febrary, 191'6, at Pittsbufghgflfenna. 'I y A z j L, MUJER five cents each, addressing.'tlicfommissioner lof Patents,y VashingtonQD.l G." v 

